Cutter.



' 1. T. QUIGLEY.

CUTTER.

APPLICATION FILED DECl 8. i915.

1,251, 101 Patented Dec.'25,1917.

da? gs.

UNITED STATES PATENT onirica.

JOHN T. QUIGLEY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COSTMETERCOMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1917.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. QUIGLEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Cutters, of which thefollowing description, in connection with thel accompanying drawings, isa. specification, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to cutters and its purpose is to provide acutting implement with which material can be quickly and accurately cutin straight lines.

My invention will be best understood by referring to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showingan illustrative embodiment of my invention, wherein- Figure l is an edgeView of the cutter;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cutter opened viewed from the right of Fig.1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are views respectively of the inner and outer sides of theguide at tachment.

The ordinary and most convenient form of hand-cutting tool for lightmaterials is a. pair of scissors or shears. The construction of thisimplement, however, is such that it is almost impossible to cut withthem in a reasonably accurate straight line.

This defect is commonly noticed when an attempt is made to cut severalsuperimposed sheets of paper. It is then found that while a ruled lineon the upper sheet may with care be followed that the under sheets areinvariably pulled away and have a curved or -iagged edge. It may readilybe demonstrated that, if a. sheet or strip of paper is firmly held atits ends, a cut across it will always turn out from the. perpendicularalthough the cut may be very short.

In my Patent No. 1,080,165 dated Dec. 9, 1913, I have disclosed a systemwherein a record of the cost of an operation is obtained by marking offa length of paper tape the linear dimensions of which directly measuressaid cost. In the use of the system a record tape is obtained bearingthereon marks pertaining to several operations orl rather, representingin itself the sum of the costs of the several operations. The pieces oftape from several recording machines are brought together, cut intopieces representmg separate operations, the pieces relating to a `givenpiece of work collected and collated with a linear scale lof moneyvalue, this collation at once measuring and com puting the cost of theoperation.

It will Ybe apparent that it is necessary to cut the tapes exactly atright angles totheir length if accuracy is desired. In the practicalconstruction of machines to carry out this system a dollar in money isrepresented by 6.288 (twice pi) inches so it will readily' be seen thatslight inaccuracies in the cutting appreciably effect theaccuracy of thecomputation.

Therefore, while my invention is susceptible to 'many variations andcapable of many uses, it is particularly desirable to employ it inconnection with such a system and I shall here explain an embodimentthereof adapted fo-r such a use.

In the specific embodiment of the invention chosen forillustra-tion Ihave shown a cutting implement which might be of various forms butwhichis here shown as a pair of scissors 1 having the relatively movableblades 2 pivoted together at 3. A .guide 42 to determine the. angularpresentation to Jthe blades of the material to be cut is associated withthe implement'. and I have here shown it as a separate member secured toone of the blades 2. Obviously the guide i might be fastened on invarious ways but I illustrate one in which there is provided a carryingmember or ange 5 secured to the side of the blade. This member 5 ispreferably concaved as shown at 6 to fit the:

blade and is provided with a slot 7 and lugs 8. A strap 9 is rivetedacross the lugs 8 and forms a recess to receive the point of the blade.The slot 7 receives the pivot pin 3 and is held by the nuts thereof. Itwill be apparent that a member such as described can be readily slippedon to the blade from the point and quickly secured in place. The lugs 8also subserve another function which will be explained later.

Extending from the carrying member 5 at any desired angle according tothe users purpose but generally as shown at a right angle, is the guideproper l0. This may conveniently be secured by providing the carryingmember 5 with an integral flange 11 here shown as channeled with theside flanges 12. The guide member 10 may have any suitable form but asshown is a channeled member tting into the channel l1 and having abottom forming a supporting plate 18 preferably disposed substantiallyflush with the edge of the blade and lateral Vflanges 14 one or both ofwhich serve as guides.

In the use or the cutter with paper tape such as 1 have referred to thechannel is made a little wider than the tape to be cut. The scissors areheld in the usual way in the right hand and the tape fed lengthwisethrough the channel with the other hand, the thumb holding it againstthe supporting plate 123 with the edge resting against the nearer flange14e. The tape is consequently held absolutely perpendicular to theblades and a straight line cut at right angles to the edge is assured.

On reference to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the lug 7 which extendsinwardly lies in the path of the opposite blade. The parts are soproportioned that when the edge ot that blade has moved past the guide,completely severing the paper, it contacts with this lug which acts as astop. Any useless eilort in cutting is therefore avoided and the bladesnot being completely closed are easier to open again. The lug alsoprevents the use of the scissors t'or other purposes which might tend toimpair their accuracy for the specific use for which they are intended.

It will be noted that the illustrative embodiment shown is a cutterwhich is essentially a hand tool. By this I mean not only a tool whichis worked by hand instead of by power but one that is readily taken upand applied to its purpose by the hand in contradistinction to one thatis secured to or placed on a support and manipulated. rlfhus, forexample, when used to cut record tapes of the kind referred to theoperator can move her hands and drop the pieces cut oil into convenientpiles or into compartments, asserting them as she cuts them. 1 do notwish to be understood as implying that my invention is in all respectslimited to such a tool but desire simply to point out that this aspectthereof is an important one. The device is simple, not cumbersome andprovides for rapid and accurate cutting of material in straight linesand, if desired, at right angles to its edge.

Having described one specific embodiment of my invention, which it willbe understood is susceptible ot variation therefrom within its scope,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A hand tapecutter for severing a tape strip into portions at right angles to itslength, comprising a pair of hand scissors having relatively movableshearing blades and having gripping devices by which the blades are bothmanually held and closed on each other, and a channeled tape guideattached to one blade and having opposed, parallel guiding angesextending at right angles to the line of shearing cut adapted to guideopposite edges ot the tape whereby a tape strip may be guided throughthe channel with one hand and severed along parallel, transverse linesby the scissors while the latter are held in the remaining hand.

2. A hand tape cutter for severing a tape strip into portions at. rightangles to its length, comprising a pair of hand scissors havingrelatively movable shearing blades and having gripping devices by whichthe blades are both manually held and closed 0n each other, and a. tapeguide attached to one blade and having a supporting plate and parallelguiding walls at opposite sides of the plate at right angles to the lineof shear* ing cut, said guiding walls being separated by substantiallythe width of the tape to be cut, whereby a tape may be m-oved along thesupporting plate in successive steps while guided by said guiding wallsand severed along parallel, transverse lines by the scissors while heldby the gripping devices.

3. A. tape cutter comprising a pair of hand scissors having relativelymovable shearing blades and an attachment therefor comprising a memberadapted to be secured to one blade and having a flanged guide projectingtherefrom to control the angular presentation ot the tape to the blades,said member having a terminal enlargement presenting a recess to receivethe end ot the blade and projecting in the path of the other blade toform a stop for the same when it has passed the guide and means tosecure the other end oir' said member.

1n testimony whereof, 1 have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN T. QUIGLEY. l/Vitnesses:

ROBERT H. KAMMLER, E. EDNA SPUF.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

